Socioeconomic inequalities in child mortality: comparisons across nine developing countries

This paper generates and analyses survey data on inequalities in mortality among infants and children aged under five years by consumption in Brazil, Cdte d'lvoire, Ghana, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Af rica, and Viet Nam. The data were obtained from the Living Standards Measur ement Study and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Mortalit y rates were estimated directly where complete fertility histories were ava ilable and indirectly otherwise. Mortality distributions were compared betw een countries by means of concentration curves and concentration indices: d ominance checks were carried out for all pairwise intercountry comparisons; standard errors were calculated for the concentration indices; and tests o f intercountry differences in inequality were performed.